KARACHI, 14 JANUARY 2016: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) today held seminars at the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (CCP) and the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry (OICCI). The seminars are part of a series of seminars being held by CCP as part of the National Road Show on Competition Law. The seminar in FPCCI was attended by the Senior Vice President Khalid Tawab Khan, Chairperson CCP Vadiyya Khalil, Members CCP Mueen Batlay, Shahzad Ansar and Ikram Ul Haque Qureshi, DG CCP Ahmed Qadir, Director Advocacy & Media Asfandyar Khattak, senior office bearers of FPCCI and business community in large number.

Addressing the seminar at FPCCI, Khalid Tawab Khan said that Competition Law protects businesses from anti-competitive behaviour. He appreciated the role of CCP in promoting competition in the economy.

While speaking at the seminar, the Chairperson thanked the business community for supporting the CCP’s advocacy initiative. “The aim of this Road Show is to create awareness of our law to SMEs, big corporations, MNCs, alike by visiting chambers and trade associations in 22 cities across all 4 provinces of Pakistan. Because of the sequential manner of our Road Show on a specific route plan, we have dubbed it the "Competition Caravan," the She said.

Vadiyya Khalil further said that the enforcement and advocacy are two sides of the same coin. “Today we are here to advocate our law so that businesses know what is right from wrong and can self-regulate themselves,” she said adding that the Competition Law protects the business community from any anticompetitive or deceptive behavior of another entity or competitor. “The main objective of the law therefore is to enhance economic efficiency and create a level playing field. It is pro-competition, pro-consumer protection, pro-growth and therefore it is pro-business.”

The seminar at OICCI was attended by General Secretary Abdul Aleem and members of OICCI in large number. Abdul Aleem briefed the participants on the role of OICCI and a perception and investment survey carried out by OICCI in 2015.

During these two seminars, the participants of were briefed on the importance of Competition Law enforcement for creating a level playing field for businesses, the salient features of the law, and the benefits drawn by the consumers after getting protected from anti-competitive practices.

Ikram Ul Haque Qureshi, Member CCP, in his presentation explained the substantive provisions of the Competition Act, 2010 and briefed the participants on specific areas such as the procedures of inquiries, issuing orders, and filing complaints with CCP. He said that in the era of free trade, healthy competition is the only recipe for progress, innovation and business growth.

Shahzad Ansar, Member CCP in his presentation on the role of the Office of Fair Trade said that deceptive marketing practices distort competition in the market and also harm the consumers’ interests besides causing financial losses to the competing businesses.

Mueen Batlay, Member CCP explained the process of merger filing with CCP and merger thresholds and informed the participants that in case of the phase 1 merger, CCP processes a merger application within 30 days after the completion of the application.

DG International Affairs CCP, Ahmed Qadir briefed the participants on the concept of Competition as evolved internationally and informed that over 120 countries of the world have adopted competition laws.

In the interactive sessions, the participants actively took part in the discussions and appreciated CCP’s initiative of approaching the business community for advocacy.